Finding old coins

Davey Crockett

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Have been doing some metal detecting and wondering if you guys that have metal detectors find many old pennies that are still in decent condition ? The newer ones have been good but I found a 1920 yesterday that looked good and I could read the date before I tried to clean it. It was dark colored, Almost black , Soap and warm water wouldn't do anything so I used vinegar and salt. It must have been oxidized because it came out looking like it had been soaked in acid. Is this frequent with old copper ?


penny.jpg
 


ND 41 Hunter

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Davey,
First thing I do is try to make sure the coin isn't somewhat valuable. Then I soak it in hot soapy water and gently use a toothbrush to remove dirt. Then into the vinegar soak and more toothbrush work and finish by rubbing the coin between your fingers with olive oil. The vinegar will discolor the coin but the oil help get it back somewhat to normal. I've pulled copper (pre 1982) pennies that looked like new to green with patina to corroded beyond recognition. Zinc pennies can be eaten away be fertilizer quickly.
 

Davey Crockett

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Thanks 41, Yea I tried olive oil and then soapy water , Backwards I guess but neither seemed to do much . I'm still learning the hard way, I should have quit while I was still ahead . I soaked it in vinegar too long I'm guessing , I pulled it out a few times and it looked the same then let it soak a good hour.
 


1lessdog

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20200331_180421.jpg

Stopped off at Menards today after work and this Mercury dime was in the change I got back.
It's a 1941.
 

BrokenBackJack

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One has to wonder back in the day how many valuable coins went through ones hands and we didn't realize it.
 

Allen

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As a huge fan of Pawn Stars, one thing I have absolutely learned is that if I ever think I have found something valuable from yester-generations, NEVER...EVER...under any circumstances try to clean it. Doesn't matter if it's an old firearm, coin, or book...you are destroying the value of it.
 


Ponyroper

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Have been thinking of getting a metal detector myself. Anyone have any opinions on a good brand to buy?
 

Davey Crockett

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I asked the same question before I bought the last one here and got many different answers so I watched a few vids and went for simplicity because my plan is to upgrade and have this one for a spare for when grandkids are around. I bought a Garette 250 for around $ 200. No idea what I will upgrade to . I also bought one of those cheap ones at harbor freight for the grandkids then I buried a couple bucks worth of coins in their sandbox and let them have at it with both detectors. That was funny , they had a heyda and are hooked already. Surprisingly the harbor freight one works pretty well too but they don't discriminate and will have you digging all day long for junk.
 

ND 41 Hunter

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I've had good luck with my Garretts and Minelabs. I use my Garrett AT PRO for water hunting and the Minelab for parks/yards etc. Cost for a good detector is $500+ depending on what kind of hunting you do. Top gold detectors are up in the $3-4,000 range.
 

Davey Crockett

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You can save yourself a lot of digging if you build a small plot and rebury the junk you got fooled with so you know what's there before you get a reading. Same with coins in a sandbox .
 


Davey Crockett

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Do you seem to have better luck with dry topsoil or wet topsoil ? I seem to get tricked a lot more when it's wet , Makes me want to plant 2 gardens like you say and water one and leave the other dry. The last few days the ground has been real wet here and frost down about 4 inches , I am playing out in yard on gravel . I want to shorten the learning curve asap .
 

ND 41 Hunter

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It seems counter intuitive, but last weekend was a prime example that wet topsoil isn't ideal for detecting. I had a tough time pinpointing and I was fooled more than usual by tin cans sounding like silver. In my experience it seems like moist subsoil and dryish top soil is best.
 

tikkalover

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Can anyone tell me what these are worth? Besides a dollar and 15 cents. ;:;rofl

BA1C8803-ECD5-49E6-B269-B292AFE6F30C.jpg

1A0F39EB-6223-49F0-9C81-5B1EFE0E72E4.jpg

The darker nickle is in the best shape of the three but it has like spray paint or a stain on it. How should I clean it up?
 

LBrandt

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The silver dollar about 20 bucks, don't know about the buffs.
 

Davey Crockett

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The dirty buff looks pretty nice. I don't think I have one that wasn't wore down.
 


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